Water at West Amwell School

Dear SHRSD Families,

This past summer the West Amwell School well water was randomly selected by the NJDEP to be tested for a chemical called 1,4-dioxane. We were just recently notified by the NJDEP that this chemical was found to be present in the water. The NJDEP has just started to test for this chemical however there is currently no federal or New Jersey-specific maximum contaminant level for 1,4-dioxane in drinking water. Per NJDEP recommendation, we are installing bottled water stations today at WAS for students and staff, as well as our food service company to be used for cooking until we have additional guidance from the NJDEP as to next steps. 

The district has the water tested at WAS and the high school on a quarterly basis by an outside company McGowan Well Water Compliance Management. We are in the process of having the high school and future middle school site tested for the chemical 1,4 - dioxane. We will share the findings from those results once we have them. Please review the information below that was provided from the NJDEP and feel free to contact me with any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Anthony Suozzo

Superintendent

South Hunterdon Regional School District

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Elevated Levels of 1,4-Dioxane at West Amwell School

Why are you receiving this notice/information?

You are receiving this notice because testing of our public water system that serves the West Amwell School found the chemical 1,4-dioxane in our drinking water between 1.7 and 3.17 parts per billion (ppb). This is above the New Jersey Drinking Water Quality Institute’s (DWQI’s) recommended maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.33 ppb in public drinking water systems.

West Amwell School participated in an NJDEP statewide study to evaluate occurrence of 1,4-dioxane in small public water systems across the State. The public water systems were chosen for the study primarily based on geographic distribution. These detections of 1,4-dioxane were observed as a component of this study.  

What are the health effects of 1,4-dioxane?

Information regarding health effects of 1,4-dioxane is primarily derived from studies of laboratory animals. These studies show that exposure to low levels of 1,4-dioxane over a prolonged period (i.e. 70 years) may result in adverse health impacts. Based on the available scientific data, 1,4-dioxane is classified as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” by USEPA. Non-cancer effects were also shown through animal studies with 1,4-dioxane where toxicity to the liver, kidney, and respiratory system were observed.

When drinking water is contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, exposure can occur by drinking the water or using it to make beverages and foods such as tea, coffee or to prepare foods that contain water (e.g., oatmeal, soup). Significant exposure to 1,4-dioxane is not known to occur through hand washing or showering, as the chemical is not absorbed through the skin and does not vaporize significantly into the air from drinking water. Additional information can be found at  https://dep.nj.gov/wp-content/uploads/14-dioxane/docs/14-dioxane-faq.pdf.

What is being done?

The West Amwell School is currently providing bottled water stations that all students and faculty should utilize throughout the day. Water fountains will no longer be used until further notice. They are also providing bottled water for our food service company to use for cooking. The South Hunterdon Regional School District  is working in coordination with NJDEP to evaluate options to evaluate the feasibility of providing treatment or using an alternate water supply.

Additional information will be shared as further testing and progress occurs.

What is New Jersey doing about 1,4-dioxane in public drinking water?

NJDEP is in the process of developing a 1,4-dioxane drinking water standard through rulemaking based on the DWQI’s recommendation. This rulemaking would establish an MCL for 1,4-dioxane of 0.33 ppb in drinking water that is based on the potential health effects from long-term consumption of affected water. Once an MCL is established, New Jersey water systems would be required to monitor for the presence of 1,4-dioxane and would be obligated to take remedial measures if levels of 1,4-dioxane are detected above the MCL, including the installation of additional treatment technology.

Where can I get more information?

For more information, please contact Andrew Harris, Business Administrator, at 609-397-0323 ext. 2 or andrew.harris@shrsd.org. You can also find additional information at https://dep.nj.gov/14-dioxane/.